On June 28, Narada News CEO Mathew Samuel appeared before the CBI in Kolkata in connection with the case.

The sting operation pertains to the secret filming of the TMC leaders and an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer while they were allegedly accepting money from representatives of a fictitious company in return for extending favours to it.

The TMC leaders, against whom the CBI has registered cases, have also been booked by the Enforcement Directorate, include Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, including Saugata Roy.

West Bengal ministers, including Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Environment Minister Sovan Chatterjee, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee have also been named in the FIR.

Former minister Madan Mitra, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and IPS officer Saiyaad Mustafa Hussain Mirza have also been made accused in the case.

Samuel had earlier released three sets of videos of the sting operation, where top TMC leaders were allegedly seen accepting bribes from journalists posing as businessmen.

The ruling party had dismissed the allegation citing that the tapes were 'doctored'.

The sting operation video was released by the portal on March 14, 2016, just ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.